Facebook Canada rolled out its ad program for Instagram seven months ago with a hand-picked cohort of five initial advertisers.
Since then, Canadian marketers have used the platform for everything from music sponsorships to sports marketing campaigns. One organization even turned Instagram into a ‘choose your own adventure’ film.
The social network has released its first results from Canadian campaigns. Here’s an early look at how the ads are performing.
Scotiabank
Scotiabank was one of the first Canadian brands to use Instagram as a paid platform. Late last year it tested media dollars on a series of “life hack” posts targeted at students. Seeing results, it worked with its agencies Bensimon Byrne and PHD on a full Instagram campaign that tested consumers’ knowledge of popular movies by teasing a series of famous props and asking them to guess the film. Clinton Braganza, senior vice-president of marketing at Scotiabank, told Marketing the bank sees Instagram as a way to connect with 18 to 24-year-olds who are difficult to reach on other platforms.
Results: A 20 point lift in ad recall, 6 point lift in brand awareness and a jump to 1,500 from 1,200 followers in the first two weeks of the program.
Air Canada
Facebook Canada invited Air Canada to advertise on Instagram before the full Canadian rollout. The airline worked with popular Instagram users to promote its newest destinations, like Alberta-based photographer Jeff Bartlett.
For Air Canada’s inaugural flight to Rio de Janeiro, the brand had Bartlett explore the city and share photos on Instagram. It also ran a contest on Instagram offering flights to Rio and two other new destinations, Panama and Mont-Tremblant.
Results: A 29-point lift in recall, an average of 4-point life on message association and a 12-point lift in message association for consumers 25 to 34.
L’Oreal Paris
For beauty brands, Instagram’s an obvious fit. It’s a visual platform the fashion and beauty world has taken to, spawning a generation of mega-popular, digitally savvy models Vogue has dubbed the Instagirls. L’Oreal Paris Canada uses Instagram for everything from red carpet fashion to get-the-look posts and behind-the-scenes peeks at photos shoots. On the paid side, L’Oreal Paris ran a Canadian campaign late last year to drive awareness of its Infallible line of cosmetics shot in Whistler, Alberta.
Results: A 7-point lift in recommendations from women 18 to 49 and a 14 point lift in ad recall
A&W
A&W is on a mission to ensure its brand is associated with quality ingredients in the minds of Canadians. Its efforts landed it on Marketing‘s shortlist for Marketer of the Year last year. Much of the success the chain is having promoting this is on social media. It used Facebook to great effect, for example, to gain a 36% lift in message association between A&W and high-quality chicken. A&W likewise tapped Instagram’s paid media as part of the campaign, using the platform to share close-ups of its most popular menu items, like its famed frosted mugs.
Results: A 39-point lift in ad recall and a 4-point lift in message association, accomplishing A&W’s goal of aligning itself with quality ingredients
Canadian Tire
In the heart of winter this year, Canadian Tire launched a social media campaign encouraging Canadians to shovel their neighbour’s driveway as an act of kindness it branded “Shovel it Forward.” The campaign included a video promoted on YouTube and a cross-platform ad buy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The retailer also mixed its social marketing with experential, physically shoveling consumer’s driveways and leaving messages and shovels asking them to pay it forward. On Instagram specifically, Canadian Tire used the video ad unit to raise awareness for the campaign.
Results: A 45-point lift in ad recall, a 6-point increase in favourability and an 18-point lift in campaign awareness
